This invention relates to the field of devices to aid handicapped persons and others who have difficulty in bending over in putting on as well as taking off of socks and other articles of clothing.
Prior art devices of this kind include such things as a sock expanding frame and control bar with a spreading device to spread the sock apart as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,216; a U-shaped form at the end of a pair of handle bars to also spread the sock apart and hold it open while being drawn on to one's foot as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,252; another U-shaped device in the form of a clamp to hold the sock opening apart and gripped while being drawn on to the foot as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,604, a frame for expanding the opening of socks or stockings with garter snaps to hold them as they are pulled on as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,160; a closed hoop or ring with fasteners to hold the sock opening apart for pulling on to the foot, with handles connected to the hoop as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,271; a spring biased clamping device having spaced apart clamps to grip the sock opening and hold it spread apart for insertion of one's foot, a link member holding the clamp members apart, and chains to pull the clamps open against the bias of the spring to release the sock as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,919,840; another U-shaped clamp disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,903,170 is very similar to the one in U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,604 and by the same inventor; and another hoop or ring type of sock puller having a pair of opposed clamps to grip opposite sides of a sock and hold them apart, the clamps manipulated between open and closed positions by a pair of levers as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,315,096.
All of these prior art devices include means to spread the opening of the socks and stockings apart, most having clamps or other fastening devices associated with the U-shaped frames or hoops used to spread the sock openings apart, and a few relying on the frictional force of the spread apart frame to hold the sock as it is pulled on. Connecting the clamps and fastening devices of such prior art devices to opposite sides of a sock or stocking opening can be a time consuming and awkward task, particularly for the infirm. The same is true for those prior art devices which require spreading the sock apart under enough tension that the sock will stay on the frame while being pulled on. It requires some force to spread a frame member apart sufficiently to stretch the sock or stocking to the point it will not pull away from the the frame as the sock or stocking is pulled on the user's foot. It also requires some dexterity to manipulate the complicated assembly of levers and spreading devices shown on the prior art devices, a level of dexterity that the infirm and handicapped persons may not have.
The tool in accordance with the present invention overcomes such problems, and provides a more natural mechanical extension of one's hands to grip and pull on, not only socks but other items of clothing as well, and not only to pull them on but to take them off as well. One of the tools in accordance with the present invention can be held in each hand, and readily moved apart as well as together throughout the entire range of the user's own arms to whatever distance necessary for gripping a sock in one instance, farther apart to grip the opposite sides of a pair of shorts in another instance, or trousers, and the like. The invention in this case does not require a limiting spacer device, or spreader device, which all of the prior art attempts to deal with this problem require. Thus, the prior art devices can only be used for the particular item of clothing they are designed for, specifically socks or stockings. There is no way the prior art defices could be used to pull on other items of clothing such as shorts and trousers. Neither can they be used to help in removing the socks or stockings, since it would be more hindrance than help to try to reposition the hoops, U-frames, and spread-apart type frames around a person's leg, then try to refasten the snaps or clamps to the edges of the stocking, and then push the stocking off.
By discovering that the tools do not have to be mechanically held or linked together in order to perform the function of helping handicapped persons who cannot bend over pull on their socks or also be used to help pull on other clothing as well, and in addition to provide real help in removing not only socks and stockings but other clothing as well.
The tool in accordance with the present invention comprises a tong-like member having a pair of elongated arms of spring steel, or other similar material, integrally joined in a U-bend at the handle end and terminating in free ends at the gripping end, with broad surface protective pads on such free ends, the arms being in close side-by-side relationship, the free ends being normally spaced apart slightly, just enough to receive the edge of a sock or other item of clothing between the pads. The length of the arms of the tool is sufficient for the gripping end to reach the end of the user's toes when the handle end is held in the user's hand and the user is not bent over. The slightly spead apart gripping end of one tool is slipped over one edge of the sock opening, and an elongated tubular slide member through which the tool arms extend is moved down toward the gripping end forcing the pads together gripping the sock edge between. The same is done with the tool held in the other hand of the user to grip the opposite edge of the sock opening. The sock at the gripping end of the elongated tool can then be positioned in front of the toes of the user without having to bend, whereupon it can be drawn on to the foot of the user. To remove the sock, the protective gripping pads can easily be slipped over the edges of the sock opening and downward thereof, with the pads on the inside of the sock being able to slide between the user's leg and the inside of the sock to a more convenient location for pushing the sock off, then clamping the pads of each tool together and then pushing the sock off.